Commercial Magic Of Jc Wagner

A signed card and a borrowed bill vanish from a rubber-banded deck, only to be found stuck to the ceiling after the deck is thrown at it. In another routine, the four aces and four kings appear from a shuffled deck before the cards separate into four suit-specific piles. These are just two of the 37 effects in The Commercial Magic of J.C. Wagner by Mike Maxwell.

What separates a professional magician from an amateur? It may not be skill level. “Amateur” comes from the French for “lover of,” describing someone passionate about their art regardless of where their paycheck comes from. For a professional, the stakes are higher. Any routine they perform needs to be strong enough to help pay the rent that month. For amateurs, knowing that a trick has been tested gig after gig provides confidence when performing for friends and family. This collection focuses on that kind of practical, performance-tested magic.

After being out of print for more than a decade, Murphy’s Magic is bringing this collection to a new generation of magicians. It covers six categories: Commercial Stunners, Four Ace Routines, Coin Magic, J.C. on Estimation, Packet Magic, and Card Magic.

Here are a few of the effects included:

• Entertainment Tacks: A spectator signs a card, which is lost in the deck. You wrap the deck in rubber bands and a borrowed bill, then throw the entire deck at the ceiling. Fifty-one cards fall down, but the signed card and banknote remain stuck to the ceiling.
• Super Closer: You magically find the four aces in a shuffled deck, followed by the four kings. Finally, you reveal that the deck has separated itself into four piles, each containing cards of only one suit.
• Card Under the Drink: A selected card is lost in the deck. You spread the cards across the table and reveal that one card has been turned face up. It is not the spectator’s card. You explain that you could not find it in the deck because it is beneath their drink. J.C.’s performance of this routine is available on YouTube.

You do not have to make your money with magic to be a magician, but reading this book can make that career goal more attainable.

The book contains 37 effects across 122 pages, organized into six categories: Commercial Stunners, Four Ace Routines, Coin Magic, J.C. on Estimation, Packet Magic, and Card Magic.